Blackwood Basin Group, Tonebridge, WA

The Blackwood Basin Group is a non-profit, community-based organisation that coordinates environmental management within the Blackwood River Catchment. The catchment is divided into nine Landcare Zones and the NRM (Natural Resource Management) activities, undertaken in these Zones are coordinated by Natural Resource Management Officers (NRMOs) in direct collaboration with community groups and landholders. The BBG is the only Australian winner of the coveted Thiess International Riverprize. As winners of the annual prize in 2001, the BBG gained valuable international recognition of its work to protect and rehabilitate the Blackwood River. The Blackwood River Basin is located in the south-west of Western Australia and covers approximately 22, 000 square kilometres. The region has a Mediterranean climate, with cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers. Annual rainfall ranges throughout the basin from an average of 350mm in the upper catchment to 1400mm on the coast. An estimated 78% of the catchment is devoted to agriculture and as a result, large amounts are cleared. This clearing has led to a number of serious environmental and social issues, particularly that of dryland salinity. The aim of the BBG is to work with the community and landcare zones to manage these issues and to maintain a balance between environmental protection, cultural diversity and economic productivity in the Blackwood.